SAN FRANCISCO, December 09, (THEWILL) – Brazilian striker Neymar Jr was in devastating form as he scored an inspired hat-trick that helped Paris Saint-Germain defeat Istanbul Basaksehir 5-1 to clinch top spot in the resumed UEFA Champions League Group H fixture that saw players from both teams make strong anti-racism messages.
This fixture was originally billed for Tuesday and had kicked- off as scheduled at Parc des Princes but play was suspended 13 minutes after it was alleged that the fourth official Sebastian Coltescu had exposed Basaksehir assistant Pierre Webo to racist language.
An investigation was launched into the accusations by UEFA to ascertain the facts, and after players for both teams united to make a stand against discrimination the game began in earnest with Neymar running the show.
Both sides, through Basaksehir’s Fredrik Gulbrandsen and PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, had scuffed great chances by the time Neymar received Marco Verratti’s pass, nutmegged centre back Carlos Ponck and arched a sublime effort into the top-right corner to open the scoring in sensational fashion.
A rapid 38th-minute counter involving Rafinha and Mbappe ended up with Neymar squeezing his shot past the visitors’ keeper Fehmi Mert Gunok to double the lead for the hosts.
To put the result beyond doubt, Mbappe smashed home from 12 yards before half- time after Mitchell Bakker’s tap-in was ruled out for offside but Gunok was penalised for fouling Neymar.
Five minutes after the restart, Neymar was at hand again to torment Basaksehir. He cut in from the left, combined with Angel Di Maria and rifled in his hattrick from 20 yards out.
Centre back Mehmet Topal knew little about diverting Irfan Can Kahveci’s powerful blast home to frustrate PSG keeper Keylor Navas. But, the man of the moment Neymar led the charge from which Mbappe tapped in Di Maria’s lay-off to round off a five-star showing.
The strong anti-racism stance of the players that caused them to abort the match on Tuesday continued prior to Wednesday’s resumption. Both sets of players came out wearing ‘No To Racism’ t-shirts (the same message was displayed in the stands, as was one of support for Webo from PSG’s ultras), while players mixed in the centre circle and dropped to their knees.
The message was strong, the message was clear and the response from both teams was impressive.
With his goals, Neymar became the first player to score 20 Champions League goals with two different teams. He also put six of his seven attempts on target, had a part in all five goals and completed 45 of 55 passes.
In their next games, PSG are in Ligue 1 action at home to Lyon on Sunday, while Basaksehir host Gaziantep in the Turkish Super Lig.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
